Context. Measurement of the Galactic neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) column density, NH I, and brightness temperatures, T-B, is of high scientific value for a broad range of astrophysical disciplines. In the past two decades, one of the most-used legacy H I datasets has been the Leiden/Argentine/Bonn Survey (LAB). Aims. We release the H I 4 pi survey (HI4PI), an all-sky database of Galactic H I, which supersedes the LAB survey. Methods. The HI4PI survey is based on data from the recently completed first coverage of the Effelsberg-Bonn H I Survey (EBHIS) and from the third revision of the Galactic All-Sky Survey (GASS). EBHIS and GASS share similar angular resolution and match well in sensitivity. Combined, they are ideally suited to be a successor to LAB. Results. The new HI4PI survey outperforms the LAB in angular resolution (theta(FWHM) = 16'.2) and sensitivity (sigma(rms) = 43 mK). Moreover, it has full spatial sampling and thus overcomes a major drawback of LAB, which severely undersamples the sky. We publish all-sky column density maps of the neutral atomic hydrogen in the Milky Way, along with full spectroscopic data, in several map projections including HEALPix.

We observed the [C II] line in 15 lensed galaxies at redshifts 1 < z <. 3 using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory and detected 14/15 galaxies at 3 sigma or better. High magnifications enable even modestly luminous galaxies to be detected in [C II] with Herschel. The [C II] luminosity in this sample ranges from 8x10(7) L-circle dot to 3.7x10(9) L-circle dot (after correcting for magnification), confirming that [C II] is a strong tracer of the ISM at high redshifts. The ratio of the [C II] line to the total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity serves as a measure of the ratio of gas to dust cooling and thus the efficiency of the grain photoelectric heating process. It varies between 3.3% and 0.09%. We compare the [C II]/FIR ratio to that of galaxies at z = 0 and at high redshifts and find that they follow similar trends. The [C II]/FIR ratio is lower for galaxies with higher dust temperatures. This is best explained if increased UV intensity leads to higher FIR luminosity and dust temperatures, but gas heating does not rise due to lower photoelectric heating efficiency. The [C II]/FIR ratio shows weaker correlation with FIR luminosity. At low redshifts highly luminous galaxies tend to have warm dust, so the effects of dust temperature and luminosity are degenerate. Luminous galaxies at high redshifts show a range of dust temperatures, showing that [C II]/FIR correlates most strongly with dust temperature. The [C II] to mid-IR ratio for the HELLO sample is similar to the values seen for low-redshift galaxies, indicating that small grains and PAHs dominate the heating in the neutral ISM, although some of the high [CII]/FIR ratios may be due to turbulent heating.

We revisit the proposed extended Schmidt law, which posits that the star formation efficiency in galaxies depends on the stellar mass surface density, by investigating spatially resolved star formation rates (SFRs), gas masses, and stellar masses of star formation regions in a vast range of galactic environments, from the outer disks of dwarf galaxies, to spiral disks and to merging galaxies, as well as individual molecular clouds in M33. We find that these regions are distributed in a tight power law as Sigma(SFR) proportional to (Sigma(0.5)(star)Sigma(gas))(1.09), which is also valid for the integrated measurements of disk and merging galaxies at high-z. Interestingly, we show that star formation regions in the outer disks of dwarf galaxies with Sigma(SFR) down to 10(-5) M(circle dot)yr(-1) kpc(-2), which are outliers of both the Kennicutt-Schmidt and Silk-Elmegreen laws, also follow the extended Schmidt law. Other outliers in the Kennicutt-Schmidt law, such as extremely metal-poor star formation regions, also show significantly reduced deviation from the extended Schmidt law. These results suggest an important role for existing stars in helping to regulate star formation through the effect of their gravity on the midplane pressure in a wide range of galactic environments.

The atomic physics relevant to gaseous nebulae is critically examined using modelling software with particular emphasis on radio recombination lines (RRLs). The theoretical spectral line intensities can be deduced if we know the population structure of the bound electrons in the gas under non-thermal equilibrium conditions. The population structure of hydrogen is solved for various environments using a capture-collision-cascade model that incorporates an ambient radiation eld. The validity of assuming Case B (Baker & Menzel, 1938) for nebulae is investigated. It is known that Case B is appropriate for levels with small principal quantum numbers (n < 40), but this assumption is re-examined for high levels which are relevant to RRLs. E ects of an ambient radiation eld on the population structure is examined and processes that are stimulated by a radiation eld are included in the model. This is done as a preliminary investigation to extend the model to a photoionization code. / Physics / (M. Sc. (Astronomy)

The atomic physics relevant to gaseous nebulae is critically examined using modelling software with particular emphasis on radio recombination lines (RRLs). The theoretical spectral line intensities can be deduced if we know the population structure of the bound electrons in the gas under non-thermal equilibrium conditions. The population structure of hydrogen is solved for various environments using a capture-collision-cascade model that incorporates an ambient radiation eld. The validity of assuming Case B (Baker & Menzel, 1938) for nebulae is investigated. It is known that Case B is appropriate for levels with small principal quantum numbers (n < 40), but this assumption is re-examined for high levels which are relevant to RRLs. E ects of an ambient radiation eld on the population structure is examined and processes that are stimulated by a radiation eld are included in the model. This is done as a preliminary investigation to extend the model to a photoionization code. / Physics / (M. Sc. (Astronomy)